UK post-study work offer does ‘poorly’ against rivals
● Government urged to boost support for students who want to stay
The UK’S offer to enable overseas students to stay and work once their studies are over compares “poorly” with international competitors, according to a new report.
Proposals for reforming the post-study work offer after Brexit should be revised and extended if the UK wants to retain its “competitive edge” against other countries in attracting and retaining international students, the review recommends.
Glasgow University academic Paulina Trevena carried out the review, commissioned by the Scottish Government, which compared the UK’S current post-study work offer, and the one proposed once the UK leaves the EU, with nine other countries.
Since scrapping its poststudy work visa in 2012 – which had enabled students to stay and look for work for two years after graduation – the UK now allows international students to remain in the country for four months to look for work once their studies are completed.
Under post-brexit immigration proposals, this would increase to six months for graduates with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a year for PHD graduates.
The report found both the current and proposed offers “limited” compared with the other countries examined: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US, France, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden.
In these countries, international students are allowed to stay and look for work for between one and three years following graduation, and in some cases have up to three years to apply for the poststudy work scheme after leaving the host country.
The review also found poststudy work offers are effective at attracting and retaining international students in the short term, but of themselves are not enough to secure longterm retention.
Decisions to stay in the host country for longer are influenced by a variety of factors, including ties developed and employment opportunities.
The review recommends the UK government introduces a more competitive post-work study offer, as well as additional measures to aid long-term retention of international students, including language support and integration programmes.
Ms Trevena said: “If the UK government aims to keep a competitive edge in attracting and retaining global talent, it should consider revising migration policies towards international students and strengthen practical support for those wishing to stay.”
There have been several recent cases of former students who have had to fight to remain in the UK, including the Brain family, who fought to remain in the Highlands where they opened a cafe after moving from Australia.
In 2017, Kathryn and Gregg Brain and their seven-yearold son won their right to stay. Mrs Brain’s student visa had expired in 2015.